Jeannette Rogers

Jeannette Mary Rogers (née Cathcart), affectionately known as Janet, passed away peacefully on May 6, 2025, in Hartford, Connecticut, at the age of 90.

Born on January 5, 1935, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and raised between New Bedford and Mattapoisett, Janet's early life was marked by resilience. Separated from her siblings and placed in foster care for much of her childhood, she eventually found a loving home with a family whose matriarch was a nurse. This pivotal relationship inspired Janet to pursue a lifelong vocation in nursing-a path that would define her legacy of compassion and care.

Right out of high school, Janet entered nursing school and began what would become a remarkable career dedicated to the service of others. Her work spanned military settings and hospitals before she found her true calling in elder care. For nearly three decades, she served with unwavering dedication at Riverside Hospital and Rehab Center in East Hartford, Connecticut. Her gentle spirit and tireless devotion left an indelible mark on countless lives.

Janet's personal life was equally rich and full. She married Francis "Frank" Rogers, with whom she shared many years of love and partnership. Their love was the fairytale romance that we all dream of. Together they have a large and loving family. She is survived by her husband Francis; her daughters Tammy Stark, Katherine Seale (James), Karen Nixon, and Susan Fotos (Christopher); her sisters Helen, Ruth, and Evelyn; as well as numerous grandchildren: Daniel Eldridge (Carly), Brandy Shirley (Jeremy), John P Wright III (Tarissa), Robert Wright (Katlyn), Timothy Wright (Alyssa), Jeffery Nixon, Mathew Nixon (Kris), Peter DeSilvey, Nichole Jarrett (Will), Crystal Fotos, and Jana Fotos. Her legacy continues through her great-grandchildren: Willow, Wynter, Karaline, Alexandria, John (Sam), Geneva, Chris, Jackson, Liam, Robert Jr (Taylor), Austin (Trina), Layla, Vance, Remi, Oakland and Marina.

She was predeceased by her beloved son Monte Ray DeSilvey in 1997; her father Everette Cathcart; Mother Alvina Gauvin; brothers Carl Cathcart and Tony Gauvin; and sister Gertrude Soares.

Janet's faith was an important part of her journey. Raised Christian, she made the deeply personal decision to convert to Catholicism in the 1980s-a commitment she embraced wholeheartedly. In her later years she was a member of Saint Mary's Church in Baltic, Connecticut.

Beyond her professional accomplishments and spiritual devotion, Janet was a woman of many talents and passions. She loved sewing intricate patterns by hand or machine; sketching and painting scenes that reflected both beauty and emotion; tending to gardens that bloomed under her care; and cherishing time spent with family. Despite battling Alzheimer's disease during the last decade of her life-a fight marked by courage-she never forgot those she loved most dearly.

Janet's influence extended beyond immediate family. Her sister Ruth followed in her footsteps nursing because of Janet's example - a testament to the quiet strength that inspired those around her.

May Jeannette Mary Rogers' memory be a blessing to all who knew her-and may the love she gave so freely continue to live on through generations to come.

A funeral service will be held at Saint Mary's Church in Baltic, Connecticut on May 17th to honor Janet's life of grace and service 70 West Main Street. A Burial will follow at New Lebonan Cemetery where she will be laid to rest next to her son Monte. A celebration of Janet's life will follow the burial at Lebonan Community Center in Lebonan, CT.